• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.42-54
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• 1988

Overall reviews of papers presented at the seventh IRPA International Congress (Aprill 10-17, 1988) held in Sydney, Australia have been done in order to grasp the trends of radiation research. In this report, the changing and increasing matters in the field of ionizing radiation safety as well as non-ionizing radiation application are introduced to the KARP. In addition, a research paper, 'Emission Rate Measurement of a Cf-252 Neutron Source by Manganous Sulfate Bath Method', presented at the IRPA 7 Poster Session is followed.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2020

Background: Kori unit #1 is permanently shut down after a 40-year lifetime. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission recommends establishing initial decommissioning plans for all nuclear and radwaste treatment facilities. Therefore, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) must establish an initial and final decommissioning plan for radwaste-treatment facilities. Radiation safety assessment, which constitutes one chapter of the decommissioning plan, is important for establishing a decommissioning schedule, a strategy, and cost. It is also a critical issue for the government and public to understand. Materials and Methods: This study provides a method for assessing external radiation dose to workers during decommissioning. An external dose is calculated following each exposure scenario, decommissioning strategy, and working schedule. In this study, exposure dose is evaluated using the deterministic method. Physical characterization of the facility is obtained by both direct measurement and analysis of the drawings, and radiological characterization is analyzed using the annual report of KAERI, which measures the ambient dose every month. Results and Discussion: External doses are calculated at each stage of a decommissioning strategy and found to increase with each successive stage. The maximum external dose was evaluated to be 397.06 man-mSv when working in liquid-waste storage. To satisfy the regulations, working period and manpower must be managed. In this study, average and cumulative exposure doses were calculated for three cases, and the average exposure dose was found to be about 17 mSv/yr in all the cases. Conclusion: For the three cases presented, the average exposure dose is well below the annual maximum effective dose restriction imposed by the international and domestic regulations. Working period and manpower greatly affect the cost and entire decommissioning plan; hence, the chosen option must take account of these factors with due consideration of worker safety.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.166-171
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• 2019

Objective: This study explored personal protective equipment (PPE) availability and PPE utilization among interventionalists in the catheterization laboratory, which is a highly contextualized workplace. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using mixed methods. Participants (108) completed a survey. A hyperlink was sent to the participants, or they were asked to complete a paper-based survey. Purposively selected participants (54) were selected for individual (30) or group (six) interviews. The interviews were conducted at conferences, or appointments were made to see the participants. Logistic regression analysis was performed. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Results: Lead glasses were consistently used 10.2% and never used 61.1% of the time. All forms of PPE were inconsistently used by 92.6% of participants. Women were 4.3 times more likely to report that PPE was not available. PPE compliance was related to fit and availability. Conclusions: PPE use was inconsistent and not always available. Improving the culture of radiation protection in catheterization laboratories is essential to improve PPE compliance with the aim of protecting patients and operators. This culture of radiation protection must include all those involved including the users of PPE and the administrators and managers who are responsible for supplying sufficient, appropriate, fitting PPE for all workers requiring such protection.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.511-521
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• 2022

Decommissioning of nuclear power plants generates a large amount of radioactive waste in a short period. Moreover, Radioactive waste has various forms including a large volumes of metal, concrete, and solid waste. The disposal of decommissioning waste using 200 L drums is inefficient in terms of economics, work efficiency, and radiation safety. Therefore, The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency is developing large containers for the packaging, transportation, and disposal of decommissioning waste. Assessing disposability considering the characteristics of the radioactive waste and facility, convenience of operation, and safety of workers is necessary. In this study, the exposure dose rate of workers during the disposal of new containers was evaluated using Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code. Six normal and four abnormal scenarios were derived for the assessment of the dose rate in a near surface disposal facility operation. The results showed that the calculated dose rates in all normal scenarios were lower than the direct exposure dose limitation of workers in the safety analysis report. In abnormal scenarios, the work hours with dose rates below 20 mSv·y^-1 were calculated. The results of this study will be useful in establishing the optimal radiation work conditions.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.164-171
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• 2022

The number of facilities using radiation generators increases and related regulations are strengthened, the establishment of a shielding management and evaluation technology has become important. The characteristics of the radiation generator used in previous report differ from those of currently available high-frequency radiation generators. This study aimed to manufacture lead, iron, and concrete shielding materials for the re-verification of half-value layers, tenth-value layers, and attenuation curve. For a comparison of attenuation ratio, iron, lead, and concrete shields were manufactured in this study. The initial dose was measured without shielding materials, and doses measured under different types and thicknesses of shielding material were compared with the initial dose to calculate the transmission rate on 50-300 kVp X-ray. All the three shielding materials showed a tendency to require greater shielding thickness for higher energy. The attenuation graph showed an exponential shape as the thickness decreased and a straight line as the thickness increased. The difference between the measurement results and the previous study, except in extrapolated parts, may be due to the differences in the radiation generation characteristics between the generators used in the two studies. The attenuated graph measured in this study better reflects the characteristics of current radiation generators, which would be more effective for shield designing.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.167-171
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• 2010

Fixed radiation portal monitors (RPMs) deployed at border, seaport, airport and key traffic checkpoints have played an important role in preventing the illicit trafficking and transport of nuclear and radioactive materials. However, the RPM is usually large and heavy and can't easily be moved to different locations. These reasons motivate us to develop a mobile radiation detection system. The objective of this paper is to report our experience on developing the mobile radiation detection system for search and detection of nuclear and radioactive materials during road transport. Field tests to characterize the developed detection system were performed at various speeds and distances between the radioactive isotope (RI) transporting car and the measurement car. Results of measurements and detection limits of our system are described in this paper. The mobile radiation detection system developed should contribute to defending public's health and safety and the environment against nuclear and radiological terrorism by detecting nuclear or radioactive material hidden illegally in a vehicle.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.195-207
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• 2024

International organizations such as IAEA and EC recommend graded approach by identifying NORM industries requiring radiation protection. In Korea, single regulation rather than graded regulation for NORM industry is applied. Therefore, it consumes more manpower and costs than necessary for both regulators and workers, and is not optimized. The purpose of this study is to analyze domestic and foreign NORM industry regulatory standards and radiological characteristics for graded approach of NORM industry in Korea. Safety reports and publications such as SRS 49 and ICRP 142 published by international organizations were investigated, and domestic and foreign NORM regulatory guidelines and legislation such as Health Canada and the Act on Protective Action Guidelines Against Radiation in the Natural Environment were investigated to indicate NORM industries and regulatory standards. The radioactivity concentration of raw materials or by-products, radiation dose by industrial process of the NORM industry identified in IAEA and Korea were investigated. Nine NORM industries in Korea were identified based on the NORM industry from IAEA and KINS survey report. Foreign countries such as Canada, UK and Denmark were executing graded approach such as classification of dose level or licensing, registration, notification based on safety assessment. Radioactivity concentration of domestic and foreign NORM industries were widespread up to 200 Bq g^-1 or higher based on industrial process and work type, and numerous NORM industries that exceeded radiation dose of 1 mSv y^-1 were indicated. Therefore, it is necessary to consider handling materials and work types of identified NORM industry when establishing graded approach for NORM industry in Korea considering domestic situation. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for developing methodology of graded approach for NORM industry in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2020

Purpose : This study aimed to examine factors affecting radiation protective behaviors among emergency room nurses by assessing knowledge, attitude, and environment for radiation protection. Methods : The study employed a cross-sectional design. Subjects were a convenience sample of 129 nurses working in emergency rooms of three general hospitals. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results : The more the nurses received radiation safety education (t=2.26, p=.026), used protective gear (t=4.40, p<.001), and took health screenings (t=2.65, p=.009), the higher their levels of radiation protection behavior. There were significant relations between radiation protective behaviors and attitude (r=.27, p=.002), and radiation protective behaviors and environment for radiation protection (r=.55, p<.001). The factors affecting radiation protective behaviors were protective environment (β=.53, p<.001), protective attitude (β=.32, p<.001), and the use of protective gear (β=.24, p=.002). Conclusions : The government, hospital administrators, and radiation protection-related organization should adopt the following measures to protect emergency room nurses from radiation: research and development of shield instrument, medical examination for emergency room nurses, protocol development of radiation protection behaviors, extension of education chances of radiation protection, and encouraging the use of protective equipment.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.803-807
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• 2011

Purpose: The safety of radiation therapy after breast reconstruction using transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap is still being debated, and few studies exist on the outcome of irradiation after immediate TRAM breast reconstruction. Some authors presented satisfactory outcomes after adjuvant radiation therapy on reconstructed breast with pedicled TRAM flap, while others reported significant post radiation changes of the flap. Effect of radiation therapy on TRAM flap was evaluated to see whether adjuvant radiation therapy was tolerable. Methods: 1000 immediate TRAM breast reconstruction was done by a single surgeon from July, 2001 to December, 2009. Among them 105 patients required adjuvant radiation therapy because of advanced disease or locoregional recurrence. Fat necrosis, radiation fibrosis, mastectomy skin flap necrosis, need for secondary touch up procedures, patient satisfaction were evaluated. Results: The incidence of fat necrosis was 10.5% and significant radiation fibrosis occurred in only one patient. Delayed wound problem did not occur during or after irradiation. Secondary touch-up procedures were performed in 12.3%, the most common being fat graft (8.6%). Average patient satisfaction score was 8.62/10, which was not significantly different from the authors' previous report involving all the TRAM patients (8.50). Conclusion: Radiation therapy did not increase the complication rate significantly. Aesthetic result was affected but was tolerated in most cases. The fear of adjuvant radiation is not a negative factor in selecting immediate breast reconstruction with TRAM flap.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.155-164
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• 2004

Advanced spent fuel Conditioning Process(ACP) project which is under development for efficient spent fuel management has finished process feasibility study and is preparing $\alpha$-${\gamma}$ type hot cell construction for process experimentation. Radiation dose evaluation for the radioactive nuclides were preliminarily performed for normal operation and accident case with the basic concept design report, the meteorological data and the recent site specific data. According to the production and release rate of nuclides, dose evaluations for residents around facility were performed. The evaluation result shows a safe margin for regulation limits and SAR(Safety Analysis Report) limit of IMEF(Irradiated Material Examination Facility) where this facility will be constructed.